Idigbe Celebrates Father’s 100th Birthday with Commissioning of PAS World Centre

Steve Aya

It was a gathering of some of the nations best legal minds who came to celebrate with one of theirs, as the grand final celebration of Hon. Justice Chukwunweike Idigbe, father of Chief Dr Anthony Idigbe’s 100th birthday took place.

The year long celebration has seen the Idigbe and Punuka Family travel the whole country, commissioning various people oriented projects in memory of their father. This grand celebration also included the commissioning of the new office and the international headquarters of the law firm Punuka Attorneys and Solicitors, which was established by Justice Idigbe himself in 1947.

Speaking at the event, former Head of State and Commander in Chief of Nigeria Armed Forces, General Yakubu Gown, had, while commissioning PasWorld Centre, expressed his joy of being alive to witness the event. He praised the Idigbes for keeping the legacy of their late father, with excellent legal services and standards which he stood for, as well as keeping his memory alive.

The event also hosted the 2024 annual Punuka Lecture with Professor Olabisi Akinkugbe an Assistant Professor and the Viscount Bennett Professor of Law at the Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University.

Speaking under the theme; “International Trade Practice in Nigerian Law Firms: The Case for Building Firm and Scholarly Capacities”, Prof Akinkugbe commended Nigerian law firms for trying to develop the skills set of their staff as much as possible.

He traced the problem of not having proper work skills to the quality of education gained particularly from the nation’s higher institution. He advocate for proper work ethic to be installed in young graduates as this will help them stand out.

Reviewing the book on some landmark Judgement of Justice Idigbe, the book reviewer Dr. Tayo Oyetibo SAN, took time to go through the book chapter by chapter, nothing down important aspects of each chapter, while taking his listeners on a total journey on the book, thus making a must read book.

The hugely successful event was attended by distinguished personalities such as Hon. Justice Dr Willy Mutunga, a distinguished Jurist, reform advocate and former Chief Justice of Kenya, a long list of senior advocate’s, religious leaders, and members of the corporate world.